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O's to limit Bundy to 75 pitches in starts this year

WASHINGTON -- The Orioles plan to limit top pitching prospect Dylan Bundy to 75 pitches in outings this season, but manager Buck Showalter said that doesn't eliminate the right-hander from potentially being part of the big league rotation this year.

"Maybe, I don't know," Showalter said of Bundy's chances of being in the club's rotation at any point this year with that restriction. "Might come a time this year when 75 pitches looks pretty good."

Bundy, who will make his next start for Class A Advanced Frederick, has been rehabbing back from Tommy John surgery, and the Orioles are taking a cautious approach as they build the right-hander back up on the mound.

"It's something we are probably not going to waiver from," Showalter said. "We could adjust if we had to but I'm kind of cautious to bring up Bundy as an option at some point. First he's got to figure out the Carolina League a little bit. But the plan right now is to limit him to 75 max the whole year.

"I've said it before, as much as we love the progress and everything, this whole thing, your end game is next year. He could help [at some point this season]. I'm not going to just pull that out."

Bundy's last outing for Frederick was his rockiest one to date. He allowed three runs on four hits -- three of them singles -- in 4 2/3 innings on Friday, striking out three and walking two. Still, the O's won't start looking at him as a realistic option for the big league club in any capacity until the 21-year-old gets to Double-A.